Hi, I have a large magnolia, pink dogwood and rose of sharon. They are covered in moss and white spots. The white spots are a fungus I think, but I'm not sure. The trees look like there is harm being done to them due to that growth. All the trees are getting full sunlight for most of the day. How do I get rid of the growths? Is there a mixture of some kind that I can use to spray the trees? Please, someone help me with this. Thanks in advance. Cheers Holger
I would Google the word lichen and look a pictures and read up about it. That might be what you have going on - and if so they are not harmful to your tree's. Post some pictures if you could to get a better ID.
Discussed often on the forums -- general conclusion is that it doesn't harm the trees. Read this thread as an example of a previous discussion.
Re: moss / lichen on my dogwood Hi all, I did not mean to get people upset about the moss on my trees. But, I removed some moss from my lilac (I forgot to mention that one) at trunk level and guess what? Under the moss the bark was weak and full of sow bugs. This makes me think that these trees are not as healthy as it looks when not removing the moss. You see I love trees, but when something is possibly slowly killing them, then I'd like to fix that problem. I do think that a moss killer product would harm the trees because none of them mention that they should be used for that purpose. Am I barking up the wrong tree? :-) I still would like to hear from someone that has a fix for this problem as my trees are covered from top to bottom and for being attractive, they are not. Thank you all. Cheers Holger
Well, I suppose that this gets into the question of something being symptomatic vs. problematic. The sow bugs are symptoms of a wet environment; they do not harm the tree. Same with the presence of moss. Given that the plants are in full sun, why are they so wet?
Ah, you see this is what has me puzzled also. I've been looking/seeking help with this problem on and off for a few months now. I have not given up yet, but it is driving me around the bend. Maybe there are times when I worry too much, but I'd sure see these trees go for you know what. I'll gladly take all the advice that I can get, even "forget about it" if that's what it comes down to. :-) There is only one problem here, I know I'll keep looking. Thank you all again for taking the time to answer me. Really appreciate it. Should you come accross a possible remedy, let me know please. My own e-mail is h_r_herrmann1@telus.net, just in case. Cheers Holger
I would agree, there must be a continuous supply of water to support that kind of growth of moss. Especially in full sun! I have all those same trees on my property and no moss on them, even though they are partially shaded by street trees. AND there is moss on the ground around them! Is the ground wet? What is growing at the base of these trees? That could be another indicator. Is there a constant drip over top of them (as in from an overhang)? Can you post a photo of the trees?
Dear tlpenner, No water source that they get aside the usual rain and watering in the summer. It is odd. I will take some pictures as soon as my camera comes home. Thank you. Cheers Holger
